


Safe.

by RageHappyThunder



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-08
Updated: 2013-11-08
Packaged: 2017-12-31 21:33:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1036625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RageHappyThunder/pseuds/RageHappyThunder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt:  Ray get’s beaten up and comes home to Joel. Basically, I want to see angry (to tears if you want it) Joel, over-protective, fist banging to the wall Joel and hugging, a lot of it. Also, it would be awesome if relationship was established in that moment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Ray was a laid back guy, he realized that because he didn’t like to drink that didn’t make him any better than anyone else. He just didn’t like the taste of alcohol burning the back of his mouth, and he especially hated the feeling of being drunk. He liked being in control of his body thank you very fucking much. Occasionally, however, he would go to a bar with a friend, their reasoning for him being there was so they weren’t alone being sober because they were the designated driver. So he’d be company for them, and he’d nurse a coke while they would drink a water and they’d just talk. Occasionally Ray would make a beeline for Joel just to chat him up for a minute or two, wishing he had the balls to ask him out or to flirt properly with the man. (Ray had the flirting abilities of a three year old. He’d ask Joel how his day was and wonder why Joel hasn’t fucked him yet.) This didn’t happen much, considering Ray would only leave his house to go see a movie and only very rarely would go to bars. Maybe he should have stayed home. Maybe he should have been more careful. But just like everything else that’s bad, it happens faster than the human mind can react.

Ray knows for a fact it’s the other guy that throws the first punch, and Ray also knows for a fact he’s missed his carpool, and he also knows his phone was in the same car that’s zooming passed him. He can’t scream for help because it seems like there’s something around his throat, closing down on him and making choking sounds erupt from his mouth. He remembers being thrown to the ground and kicked in the ribs. He remembers a red hot liquid dripping down his head, and he knows it’s his blood because he has yet to throw a punch, but when you’re on the ground gasping for air, your muscles tend to not be in your control and you can barely even breathe let alone fight back. He doesn’t know what they look like, it was dark and the reflections of light around him made their faces just turn into something that haunts him, sometimes if he thinks about it too much they don’t even seem human.

So Ray uses the walls of the alley to steady himself, he lets himself cough, but refuses to cry from pain and just starts to walk.   
He wasn’t thinking clearly, and I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t either in this situation, but he remembers the way to Joel’s apartment better than the way to his own apartment so he walks, limps, all the way there. It was the last place he remembers being at, even thought he was at his own apartment later that night. It didn’t matter, he could barely follow his own train of thoughts when he knocked on the door. Joel opened it a few second later, trying desperately to get the sleep out of his eyes, but the sleep evaporated when he felt a rush of anger when he saw Ray, all beaten up in front of him.

“Hey Joel.” His voice was barely there, and he tried so hard to force a grin but he ended up stumbling and Joel having to take his arm to steady him. He dragged the younger boy inside and plopped him on the couch not as gently as he should of. Ray coughed and recoiled, holding his side and coughing up a bit of blood. Joel took a paper towel from the kitchen and gave it to the Puerto Rican, who took it, but couldn’t do anything about the blood leaking from his mouth because of the coughing.   
“I’m sorry,” He croaked out, “I didn’t know what to do.”   
That was the last straw to Joel, he pounded his fist on top of his kitchen counter and Ray jumped back immediately.

“They should be the ones who are sorry, Ray, not you!” Joel passed his hand on his stubble, he muttered a short, crisp,  _Jesus_ , under his breath. Ray just sat on the couch, uncomfortable with the pain on his sides and stomach, he opened his mouth but felt that familiar strangling sensation on his throat, but it wasn’t because of someone’s hands were pressing down on him, it was because of the tears that threatened to developed and made him feel like he was being drowned on the inside of his body. He swallowed with much difficulty and tried to open his mouth again. He was silenced when Joel now crashed his hand against the wall. Suddenly Ray felt like he was in a bad movie, where the protagonist’s girlfriend get’s beat up and the other guy is yelling ‘Who did this to you?’ What happened?’ Ray didn’t like the feeling of being interrogated, it felt like Joel was yelling at him so he brought his knees up to his chest and tried to make himself  disappear. Joel frustratedly kept pounding the walls, the thunking sound that erupted the otherwise quiet apartment slowly got more and more quiet. Ray was grateful for this.

Suddenly, swiftly, Joel wrapped his arms around Ray, right under his arms and the shorter of the too wrapped his arms around Joel’s neck. Joel rested his head on the crook of Ray’s neck and breathed in his scent.

“Do you want to go to the hospital?” Finally, a question Ray could answer, he shook his head no, leaning into the hug more, pressing Joel onto him. It felt nice. Joel felt nice and smelt nice and he felt safe. Like his arms were stone walls and his chest was a sanctuary. “Tomorrow then yeah? We’ll go to the doctor tomorrow then. Just sleep.” Joel didn’t let go, and Ray didn’t want him to. Joel moved away from Ray for a second, only to be brought closer to him by a kiss.  
“Never again.” Joel said when they broke apart, “Will I let someone hurt you.” Ray sighed.  
“”Joel I-” He was silenced with another kiss, Joel’s lips were warm and a little chapped but Ray didn’t want to complain, it would ruin the moment. When they broke apart, they were both panting, Ray was blushing a lightish red color, and Joel looked like he was about to murder someone, but the fire in his eyes soon died down.   
“You don’t have to-”   
“Shut up Ray.” Joel said sweetly, he grabbed Ray’s hand and helped him up.  
“I can sleep on the couch it’s okay.”  
“No,” Joel said as he rested Ray on the bed, “Wait here.” Joel said.  
“I’ll try not to disappear.” Joel ducked into his bathroom and started a bath going.   
“Here, take a bath and you can borrow some of my clothes.”  
“But the blood makes me look bad-ass.”  
“Ray.” Joel sighed into the name. Ray limped to the bathroom, closed the door and started to get undressed. Joel picked out some of his tight shirts and threw them into the bathroom.  
“Joel!”  
“I’m not looking; I’m not looking!” Joel wiped his hand over his face, he was tired and still  **fucking**   _ **angry**_  god fucking damn it. He was at the same fucking bar as Ray and he didn’t even notice he was gone for so long, or that he didn’t leave with the people he came with and ugh. he should have kept a better eye on him but he was so fucking worried about slipping up or driving the kid away so he kept his distance. So now he’s fucking beat up and taking a bath and he’s in pain and it feels like it’s  _my_   _fault_. Joel sat down on his bed and buried his face into the palm of his hands.  _My fault. My fault. Should have done something…_

“Joel?” Ray said when he opened the bathroom door, his short black hair was wet, he was in just boxers and Joel’s shirt was still about one or two sizes too big. Joel smiled a little when he turned the bed down.   
“Here, Ray, just sleep in the bed I’ll take the couch.” Ray grabbed Joel’s arm and tried to protest, there was a few minutes of arguing when Ray finally seemed to snap.  
“Just share the fucking bed with me I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep well anyway.” and Joel just stood there, and nodded slowly, saying okay as he and Ray climbed into bed. So Ray the boldly curled up at Joel’s chest and grabbed a fist full of his shirt. Joel put his arms around the younger.

“What are you doing?” Joel mumbled.  
“I dunno, you feel safe.” Pause. “What does this make us?”   
“Anything you want.”  
“I just hope this makes us safe, and maybe lovers on the side.”  _Safe_. Joel could give him that, and he could sure as hell give him love too.


	2. You Should See The Other Guy

Joel had his arm protectively over Ray’s shoulder as he talked with Burnie, both had a beer in hand and Ray had a coke, he looked around looking bored as they both talked business. It was a party for christ’s sake but it seemed like work could never escape them, well Joel was the one who brought it up but still. Ray ducked away from Joel’s grasp and Joel let his arm travel down Ray’s, grasping at his hand.   
“Where you goin’?”  
Ray shook his now empty coke can, “Refill.” Joel dropped Ray’s hand and kept talking to Burnie.  
“Aren’t you being a bit over protective of the kid?” Burnie asked, Joel just shrugged and took another swig of his beer.  
“Just making sure he’s safe. Nothing wrong with that.”  
Burnie made a pfft sound and shook his head, “Whatever dude.” and then their derailed conversation got back on track, Joel spitting out numbers and Burnie stroking his chin.

Ray had just ordered his 3rd coke when he felt a strange hand grasp him from behind. His stomach filled with nervousness. Not the butterflies-in-my-stomach nervousness, no, he got that feeling when he was curled up on Joel’s chest. He felt like his stomach was filled with moths, and when the hand forced him to turn around, he felt the moths in his stomach flutter away and it seemed like they took off with all the oxygen that was in Ray’s lungs because he was left breathless. Not breathless like when Joel kisses him, no, breathless like when a hand grabs your neck and presses downward.

“Fucking faggot,” the man slurred, liquid hatred dripping off of the words that seemed to hang in the air.   
“Fucking got me,” Ray said, his voice threatening to shake but he refused to show fear, “Now if you excuse me.” He tried to wiggle away from the man’s grasp, but he held onto his shoulder tightly.   
“Did I say you can leave?” He slurred, he raised a fist up and suddenly Ray’s lungs felt like a desert, dry and suffocating. He fell to the ground, grabbing his stomach, he didn’t black out but he could have sworn he heard a distinct crack and a god damn it Joel from the distance. He felt a hand on his shoulder again and Ray tried to suck in as much air as possible.

“You okay?”  
“ ‘m Fine,” Ray said, Gus helped him up as Burnie tried to break up the fight that was threatening to erupt between Joel and some random guy. Eventually, the guy that punched Ray left, leaving Joel /victorious/ if you could call it that. Joel asked Ray if he was okay to which Ray responded ‘tis just a scratch.’ Joel smiled, he understood that reference.

Ray spent the rest of the night under Joel’s arm, Joel grabbed Ray protectively and Ray didn’t mind. He didn’t mind one bit.

Hours passed and Ray was the first to yawn, the bar they were in started to thin as people kept going home. Eventually they too left, however in the car, Joel had a very different demeanor, he gripped the steering wheel tight, so tight his knuckles turned a ghostly white color, his jaw seemed to be locked unnaturally and Ray shifted a bit uncomfortably.

“So…” Ray awkwardly said, the word seemed to hang in the air.  
“Jesus Christ Ray,” Joel muttered, exasperated. Ray looked out the car window.  
“I guess I just have a punchable face or something,” Ray offered, trying to lighten the mood.   
“No.” Joel said curtly, “You don’t.”  
“Why are you mad at me?”  
“I’m not!” Joel snapped, “I’m just. Mad at myself I guess.”  
“Why?”  
“Because I fucking promised to keep you safe and I’m doing a shitty job at it.” Silence.   
“No you’re not. You practically pounced on that guy the second you saw him punch me.” Joel smirked.   
“I guess you could say I pounced like a cougar.” Ray groaned.  
“That would only work if you were a 40 year old woman.”   
After a few moments, “Does it hurt?” Joel said, bringing the topic back full circle.  
“Your shitty puns? Yeah I’ll be feeling them in the morning.” Just like Ray to dodge the real questions.  
“You should be a politician,” Joel groaned.  
“Yeah it hurt when I fell from heaven. You got me Joel, I’m the anti-christ.” Joel brought his palm up to his face and just rubbed his cheeks, Ray sighed.  
“Yes my stomach still hurts, no not a lot, No I’m not going to a doctor but you’re fucking making me ice cream when we get home.”  
“I think the proper way to take care of a bruised stomach is to put ice on the outside of it, not inside.”  
“I think the proper way for you to shut up is to stop using your mouth.”  
“Fucking got me.”  
“That’s my line, Joel.”


End file.
